Here's how Irish Rep bills the play by Dublin-born writer Boucicault: "Against a background ripe with the intrigue of the secret Fenian Uprising in Ireland in 1866, Dion Boucicault, the undisputed master of melodrama, unravels The Shaughraun, a comic masterpiece, springing to life once again on The Irish Repertory Theatre's stage. Desperate forbidden passions! Beautiful damsels in distress! Swashbuckling swordplay! Villains of legendary mustache-curling hurled from cliffs! And a charismatic vagabond hero whose fiddle is the soul of every fair and the life of every funeral. The production includes touches of Irish, spoken by actors fluent in the native language."

Boucicault's plays include London Assurance, After Dark and The Colleen Bawn. According to Irish Rep, as manager and producer of his own work, Boucicault is credited with instituting the royalty system, and his most important victory was getting some copyright protection for playwrights. He is also credited with such innovations as fireproofing scenery, popularizing the matinee, and shortening performance times. The Shaughraun was first performed in New York in 1874. It was Boucicault's last big success.

The Shaughraun continues to June 12 at Irish Rep at 132 W. 22nd Street. Performances play Wednesday-Saturday at 8 PM; plus 3 PM matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $55 and $65, and are available by calling (212) 727-2737 or online at www.irishrep.org.